Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Well, I don`t know exactly what people look for, but I`ll say a couple things about reasons why people say they`ve chosen us.

#1 We speak english. (as in, not geeks-speak-jargon). That`s seriously one of the big things people say they like about us. When we talk about something, if a person doesn`t understand it, we explain it until it becomes clear. I didn`t realize other web companies didn`t do this.... but I guess not.

#2 Flexibility in offerings. We don`t really have "packages" per se, so we bring lots of offerings to the table and you choose what you want from that. We`ve tried to develop offerings for anyone - from the large business to the small one-person show. I think people also appreciate it that we don`t have any desire to sell you on something you don`t want. The last thing we want is for you to get in over your head with bills for stuff you didn`t need to begin with.

#3 Being mindful of clients` timelines. We may not always be lightning speed, but we work hard not to keep people waiting. We`ve recieved very nice compliments on this.

Anyway, those are just a few things. I definitely don`t want to sound like I`m pushing my business on anyone, so if anyone has any further questions, feel free to contact me.

I think a successful web developer really has to try to understand the situation of the client and try to find suitable (and pertinent) offerings that won`t overextend the client`s budget. This sometimes can mean that the client starts out with a basic website for low cost, and makes a plan to upgrade the website in the future.

On a technical level, I think web developers should work to stay ahead of the curve in terms of current technologies, but also balance that with the fact that not everyone is going to buy into all the new fangled internet toys. Usability is important because without it, people simply won`t find the information they came for in the first place. Then they get mad and leave. After all, there`s probably plenty of other businesses out there where they could get what they`re looking for.

And finally, I can say from personal experience that SEO _is_  absolutely important. For a while when we started, we weren`t really focusing on SEO and we hardly ever had clients that said they found us through the website. Now, we`ve really expanded our SEO capabilities, and we regularly have people tell us they found our website and liked it, and decided to call.

It`s a fine balance of skills that go into a functional, beautiful, usable, and visible website.

Anyway... these are just my opinions. Your mileage may vary



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Let me flip this around a bit and detail what I, as the owner of a web design and marketing firm, am looking for in a client.  I believe that this can help those prospecting for a web designer or firm to work with.

1. Communication - The most important aspect of any service provider relationship, whether it`s web design or auto detailing.  A lot of time and money gets wasted by not having a shared vision of the end product.  This can be the fault of both sides.  The firm has to understand the needs of the client, as they are ultimately the one`s paying the bills.  However, the client needs to understand that the firm is, hopefully, the experienced expert, and has a track record of success with similar projects.  It`s an equal partnership, that if out of balance, will not produce the best results.  This is where any project starts to get unraveled, and it is very difficult to get back on track.  Believe me, the more communication coming from the client side, the better.  It helps me, as the project manager, guide the project down the right path.
   
2. Patience - This doesn`t mean having patience through all the excuses for missed deadlines.  This means having patience to work within the process.  I believe there is a flow that needs to be followed on every project.  Ted touched on some of this in the above post.  Wanting a website completed in one week isn`t reasonable, unless you are willing to make major concessions, and even then, you are doomed to failure.  You might as well buy a shared template design, which I am not afraid to recommend to potential clients.  A lot of times, it`s a better alternative than building it yourself.
3. Comfortableness - If you are not comfortable with your prospective firm or designer, and they are not comfortable with you, then it might not be a good idea to work together.  You cannot communicate effectively when you are uncomfortable, and you surely will not have much patience.  You also want to build a long-term relationship with the client, whether that brings more work, or even referrals.  Too many one-and-done clients, and you won`t be around for very long.
4. Lastly, I look for how serious and established the client is.  Do you have a budget?  I cannot accurately propose any project without a strict budget, or the understanding of what kind of budget would be acceptable to a client.  I have proposed hundreds of projects, for what I thought was a reasonable budget, only to be high by thousands of dollars.  Sometimes it is my fault, not doing enough research or asking the wrong questions.  Sometimes the prospective client misrepresented their budgets.  Many people have said they are looking for web designers on a low budget.  Be specific on how low that budget is.  It might be $500 for one person, and $50,000 for another.  Remember, proposing projects, planning, storyboarding, and even emailing back in forth with a prospective client have hidden and true costs associated to them. 
   

I hope this helps.  Let me know your thoughts!


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Steve James Fresh Yields- a new media firm, providing ecommerce solutions, redesign consulting, web design, email campaign management, and internet marketing.

There`s been some great advice posted in this thread - it should be a primer for anyone setting out to establish a web presence.

The biggest mistake I see businesses making when it comes to initiating the process of creating a web site is to assume that all web developers are designers - or that all web designers are developers.  There are individuals/firms where you will automatically get the whole package - it`s just not always the case. Not all web designers are experts in the technical aspects of web site creation and not all web developers are knowledgeable in basic design principles.  It is something that needs to be researched thoroughly when planning your web presence.

- J.




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Jeff Fisher | Jeff Fisher LogoMotives | Tweet! Tweet!

I just had to address this question:
"Is geek such a derogatory term?"

Simply put - No!
When I tell people I`m a geek, they think I`m being negative toward myself, but really I`m not. Sure I`m a computer geek. And damn proud of it! I`ve managed to get most of my friends and family to start calling me "the resident computer geek" and meaning it in a positive way.


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I agree with this 100%.  Different web development companies can have different strengths. Be sure your needs fit with their capabilities.


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I agree. 

My partner has a degree in Computer Science.  In applying for his first job after getting his degree, his resume stated he was a "Computer Geek with Social Skills" under his name.  The firm said that was EXACTLY what they were looking for and he had a finalized job offer within two hours of his first interview.

In my own case, I`m far from being a "geek."  I may use a computer for my work - but I don`t want to know the hows, whats and whys of computer technology.

- J.




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Jeff Fisher | Jeff Fisher LogoMotives | Tweet! Tweet!

There are some responses here from people far more experienced and better at web design and development than our little business is, but I wanted to chime in on a couple points...

With every customer we work with it is an education process. We educate the customer with our area of knowledge and the customer educates us in what a business of their type needs from a web presnece. This whole process hinges on the ability to communicate effectively. I have found that being able to clearly and professionally communicate with customers (understanding their needs and them understanding what is possible/realistic) will ensure they will be returning customers.

Case in point. We wrapped up a small commercial mortgage provider`s site this summer. He came to us with the idea that a website would be the key to having customers tear down his door and wanted the site up before the end of the day. By sitting down with him (even gave him a questionaire for homework), we boiled down his needs. He became a veracious student and although his initial ideas were a bit stuck in the 90`s, he has made serious improvements to his marketing strategy. Today, roughly 10% of people contacting him through the site finances with him. Communication of realistic goals and sharing of knowledge has had tremendous effect.

Designing versus developing - I admit that I am the designer of my group. "Making pretty pictures" as my coders call  it. But in the end, effective programming is only as good as the design interface.

When looking for a web service provider, ask to speak with a couple references. We provide them to first time customers and we discover that it strengthens the relationship up front. Proof that others have come and found success always calms the first-time jitters.

If there could be any one thing I would suggest to businesses looking for a web service provider: Do your research. Find out about your competition. Lay out some key goals you have for your website (and be realistic). Get quotes and plan a budget. If you want a really good site and think you`re only going to spend $500, you may want to reconsider.

Oh, one other thing... Geek: Yes, for many it can been seen as less than flattering, but for those of us "geeks", we end up being addressed as "sir" or "ma`am" at the end of the day.

Honestly fellas "The word Geek is derogatory to me by any sense" and like Mathew said "at the end of the day, they are addressing you as Sir or Mr."

I guess "to some its funny to be classified as a GEEK [Christina] I don`t like to be classified, as anything. I`m just a designer/consultant/ developer. I write in 5 languages whether you need a project in PHP,ASP,ASP.net, JSP, or Coldfusion I`ll give you the functionality and results. As fas as using Flash. I leave it up to my client to decide whether they want flash. All I do is listen to their requests and when they are done I make suggestions.

As for MATTHEW, the Originator of this thread read this article

2. FLASH
There was a big brouhaha that Flash had become search engine indexable and you no longer had to worry about its search engine issues. Frankly, I have not seen the fruits of this `improvement` to a respectable degree yet so I still consider it a kiss of death for websites designed solely in Flash. If you have a Flash-only website then I recommend one of these two options; one is to design an html version of your website and make the home page of your website html rather than Flash where you can then allow users to choose between html or Flash. The second option is to redesign the site so that it mixes both html and flash together. For example, this might mean implementing Flash amidst content on an HTML page as you would an image. I realize there are certain limitations to this option but if you can create a slick site in this manner then you will have the best of both worlds; clean search engine friendly content along with an interactive, multimedia feel. Just remember that the majority of relevant text should be in HTML format for the search engines to index.

oh and for your information: Do you know the difference between a Nerd and a Geek? "Nerds think of cool stuff, and GEEKS get the job done"

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Edgar Monroy
Web Developer / Owner / Consultant
When starting your own business the need to "know-how" is greater than money!
http://www.nuevolution.net

Wow...this is a pretty hot topic it seems...not to mention...it has brought all the developers out of the wood-work around here! HAHAHA...that could be a good thing for those of us looking for one.

FreshYields...I have to ask...you mentioned that you prefer your potential clients to have a budget. Unfortunately...since I am not experienced in the ways of web development and design...I wouldn`t even begin to know how much to put into a budget for this type of service...so having the opportunity to speak with a developer or two to discuss my ideas would not only allow me to gage if it is going to be a workable relationship...but also allows the potential developer a chance to figure out what the real cost of my project might be (or at least a rough guess). In my experience web sites aren`t cookie cutter...so I it may be easy for a developer to say...these are my packages...this is how much they cost...give me a budget and we will see what we can do. But in my mind...I don`t see my site fitting into those packages but only because I don`t know enough about web D&D....so I see these package prices and I don`t see my site!? How would any of you address this? Ultimately...I am turned away almost instantly because I can`t see my site needs fitting into your pre-assigned packages...and I honestly wouldn`t even bother wasting either of our times if I can`t picture it! Ya` know what I mean!? Does that make any sense!?

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Leah Tucker

Leah,

I understand where you are coming from.  My company doesn`t have package pricing, although many companies use this model.  Most clients have pre-set budgets, or at least a max cost/value they are not willing to go past.  When estimating a project, we estimate the number of hours the project will take, apply an hourly rate to those hours, and add additional expenses or dicounts to that total.  These additional expenses can be marketing initiative, whether online or off, hosting upgrade needs, any ongoing maintenance needs, etc.

My suggestion would be to write a brief about your project, being as specific to your needs as possible.  Of course, you won`t know the technical details, but it would give potential designers/developers a starting point to come up with an estimate.  Submit it to a few firms/freelancers, and evaluate the answers you get back.


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Steve James Fresh Yields- a new media firm, providing ecommerce solutions, redesign consulting, web design, email campaign management, and internet marketing.